Grassley Says Republicans Could Be Open to Shop Safe in China Package

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she would like to see two bills that could fight counterfeit sales online get into the China package (see 2112150050), and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he thinks Republicans would be open to that. Grassley told International Trade Today during a phone call with reporters that he has not talked to other Republicans about including the Stopping Harmful Offers on Platforms by Screening Against Fakes in E-Commerce Act of 2021, or Shop Safe Act, in the compromise language that will be negotiated between the two chambers. "But for me, I can say yes."

Before taking questions during the Dec. 21 call, Grassley talked about how he was surprised to learn last week from Canada's deputy prime minister that the electric vehicle purchase subsidy proposed in the Build Back Better legislation could trigger a trade war. Chrystia Freeland had met with Grassley repeatedly as the new NAFTA was being negotiated, and she warned that if the subsidies only were available for U.S.-assembled vehicles, Canada might rescind the better terms for U.S. dairy exports that were agreed to in that NAFTA rewrite, which became USMCA.

"It was quite shocking for me to hear this from her -- that these subsidies would be more hostile than anything that [previous President Donald] Trump had done while he was in office," he said. "However, today I’m glad to report our closest ally can breathe a sigh of relief."